Senator's Guardian
by Jadepiper
Summary: Anakin goes to visit Padme and finds that she had a new Handmaiden which he isn't too sure about. She's a little too good at fighting and a little too mysterious for him. And she's Forcesensitive. What is he to do? Set about a year after Episode 2.
1. Meetings

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, the Star Wars Universe belongs to George Lucas and all them folks and not to me. sigh However, Anaria is mine and the plot is mine and whatever else you don't recognize is mine, unless of course, you're Star Wars illiterate.

Chapter One- Meetings

The crew members saw a dreamy look cross Padawan Anakin's face, but they were much to in awe of their important passenger to say anything. However, Lieutenant Commander Foksri thought that perhaps Anakin was happy to be going to Naboo on assignment, since he seemed to like it there the last time he went. It was a _nice_ planet, if you liked that sort of thing. Foksri could appreciate the beauty of the green planet since he was from another of its kind. Unfortunately, he did not get any dirt-side leave to see the planet. No, he had to take the ship and fly around a bit running errands until the Padawan was ready to be picked up. He grumbled softly to himself. Life just wasn't fair that a _young_ fighter with Force-powers and one hand could have a ship at his beck and call and he, an experienced naval officer of the Republic, had to do the porting around. No, he said to himself, life really just wasn't fair.

The ship gently set down on the soft landing strip of Naboo. Anakin could barely keep from jumping off the ship and running up to the palace to see his young wife. It had been almost a year since they were married and he only got to see her once since then. But he could hardly afford to give away their secret just to see her a moment or two sooner. So he let himself off the ship with decorum, thanking the captain and crew for the swift journey and letting them know that it would probably a week or so before he was finished and ready to go. He wished that the Jedi Council had let him fly himself, but they had felt that such an important diplomatic mission required the use of a diplomatic Republic cruiser, no matter the inconvenience it caused him. He kept himself from racing up the stairs to the palace and walked an even, fast walk like the almost-Jedi he was. To keep himself from losing his concentration by thinking of Padme, he forced himself to contemplate what Obi-Wan had told him moments before he left- that if he came back successful, the Council would deliberate about letting him take the Trials, even though he was still too young and unpredictable and, as they saw it, easily influenced by passion and politics. The very thought of that made him take the mission with the utmost care and dignity, even though all his heart wanted him to do was to see his beautiful Padme.

After his briefing with Queen Jamilla, he inquired as to where he might find Senator Amidala as he had a message for her. The Queen nodded, knowing of their friendship and directed him to the gardens near the Senator's apartments. It was not exactly a lie, since he did have a message for her, even though it was from himself, and they were friends, even though they were much more than just friends. He smiled and thanked her, assuring her that he did not need a guide and that the Force could locate her if pointed in the right direction. He bowed and gracefully exited the room, not outwardly showing his excitement and haste.

In the gardens, Anakin still forcibly kept himself at a fast walk, knowing that there could possibly be security as well as spy-droids to notice and record his unusual behavior. He played as though he was enjoying the gardens, which in fact he was, just not so much as he was making out to. That was, until he came upon two figures locked in hand-to-hand combat. He broke into a run and as he got closer, realized that one of the figures, the losing one, was his beloved Padme.

_She's being attacked!_ He thought frantically and immediately jumped in the fray. The attacker, head covered by a helmet, immediately turned his attention to Anakin and kept trying to pull them away from Padme, who stepped out of the battle and pulled off her helmet. Anakin was too worried about keeping himself between Padme and the assailant. The assailant whirled with surprising speed and grace and moved to kick out Anakin's legs from beneath him. He jumped at the last possible moment and moved to land and subsequently crush the attacker's ribs. If possible, he wished to keep the assailant alive and question him. But his attacker moved away from the assault with ease and skill and commenced in a flurry of moves that kept him to busy to reach for his lightsaber. Anakin tried to summon the Force to push the attacker away and succeeded for a second before another attack followed the first. He realized with astonishment that the attacker was actually using the Force in an unconscious, crude way to aid himself with speed and dexterity. Anakin twirled using his cloak to camouflage his movements and reached to strike the assailant's head but the assailant was not where he was and came down hard while Anakin was distracted, throwing him on the ground. But Anakin used the Force to pick himself up and drew his lightsaber. Its brilliant green light struck up and the assailant stopped hesitantly and drew a retractable vibroblade out of its green jumpsuit and had a handful of something in the other hand. Something whizzed past his ear and he ducked, not even having enough time to bring up his lightsaber. He moved towards the assailant.

"STOP! Both of you just stop it!" a voice called out, almost laughing.

Both Anakin and the assailant spun to face Padme incredulously. "But he was attacking you!" they said in unison, and then turned to stare at each other.

Padme couldn't help but laugh then. "That was a display!" she finally managed to get out. "But I think its time that you two stopped trying to kill one another. Padawan Anakin Skywalker, may I make you known to Handmaiden Anaria Demaret?"

Anakin cut the power to his lightsaber and grudgingly held out his hand. The assailant sheathed her vibroblade and concealed her handful of miniature throwing darts in her uniform. Then she tugged off her helmet. Long, auburn brown hair fell in a wave behind her shoulders and her brown eyes sparked in a face that was hardly even red from fighting. She tucked her helmet under one arm with efficient grace and grasped his proffered hand quickly and dropped it. Anakin was startled by her resemblance to Padme, and also her youth. She couldn't be more that sixteen to Padme's twenty-five and yet they were alike in looks as two sisters.

"Nari," Padme said. "Now that you know I'm in no danger, why don't you wash up and have a light refreshment sent up to my suite."

"It is my job to protect and guard you Senator," the girl said, emotionless but clearly on guard.

"I'm in perfectly safe hands able to guard me with Padawan Anakin. He served as my protector just over a year ago himself. I'm sure you'll feel much better after a wash and have Dorme draw me up a bath as well, will you?" Padme said nicely, though the set in her eyes told Nari that the Senator was not requesting or suggesting, she was ordering.

"As you wish," Nari said bowing and left.


	2. Catching Up

Disclaimer: If you know anything about Star Wars, you'd know that that wonderful universe belongs to George Lucas, but you won't remember an Anaria or the plot, or the random other people in that Universe. Well, here's the thing- they're not his, they're mine, all mine, and they live in his lovely universe. So it's no wonder that you don't recognize them, now is it?

Chapter 2- Catching Up

Padme was content. There was something about Anakin that completely took away all the stresses of her tenuous job. She felt relaxed and invigorated for the first time in many months just by being near him. She wanted him to hold her, wanted to touch him and feel him in a calm state. But she couldn't do that in such a public place.

"So, what business brings you to Naboo, since I can scarce believe that you've time to take pleasure jaunts to our peaceful world," she asked, her tone light in case they were overheard, though covertly leading him towards a more secluded part of the garden.

"Well, I was sent to make contact with and persuade your Queen to aid us in a matter most important but at the moment, entirely confidential." Like hers, his tone was light but she caught the barely imperceptible wink he sent her way, no doubt to convey his understanding at the direction they were heading. "I am also here on a more private matter and that is to bring you a message from an old friend."

"Who is it? Oh tell me, Ani," she begged, though she had an idea that it was a joke.

"I thought that as a Senator you should have more patience and more consideration," putting a playfully hurt look in his eyes at the old nickname. "I am almost a Jedi, I'll have you know, and much too old to be called by the same nickname that I was when I was nine."

"I'm terribly sorry, Padawan Anakin Skywalker," Padme said formally, though her eyes matched the playful yet hungry emotion in his eyes.

"Your apology is accepted, Senator Amidala. Now, I will bring out your message," he said and kissed her deeply. They were deep within a secluded part of the garden, made for contemplation, meditation, and reading she thought. Or for anyone wishing a break from the noise and turmoil of Court. Or it also made an ideal place for kissing one's husband, when one's marriage was kept a secret.

Anakin pulled her to the bench and down on her lap, as she laughed but gave no resistance. He wrapped his arms around her and just embraced her without words, but gently pulled her into his mind where she felt the emotions swirling within. He was letting down his shields for her, she realized, and she felt elated with the content and clarity she felt there. They sat that way, just sharing their feelings for each other until it become too much for both of them.

"Padme, dear, I hate to break this up, but I really need to know- who is this Anaria?" Anakin asked after a while, turning her to face him.

"Nari? Why do you need to know about her? She's not a bad or malicious person," Padme said, confused.

"Just tell me. I'll let you know my reasons and suspicions afterwards if I still find truth in them," Anakin said, convincingly.

"I found her shortly after your last visit in the Lake Country, just wandering around. She was barefoot and wore tatters, having no recollection where she was and couldn't, or wouldn't, speak. I couldn't just leave her there. So I brought her back with me, to see if I could find out something about her. She almost looks like I did when I was her age, which intrigued me. She's sixteen, by the way. I first noticed her unusual talents shortly after she came out of the drug-induced sleep the medical droid put on her. She turned over, just waking up and the guard posted at her door- a friendly fellow with two children of his own- came to check on her. She reacted out of pure instinct and had him on the ground in seconds moments after being completely unconscious herself for more than a day. He came out of it, good naturedly. That day we had her tested against some of the guards for sparring practice and to see her capabilities. She put five men down in a few seconds and is better with both a vibroblade and a blaster than the best of the guards. I had her checked out and tested and she started to remember things. Like a fire burning down her settlement and her people, warriors though they were, getting slaughtered by droids who just opened fire on them. She was gone and escaped, the only survivor we know of. She snuck away and came on a ship, and got out there, someway, somehow. I checked the story and it collaborated with an actual occurrence. Actually, no one outside of a few people knows that she is a survivor. Most just think I picked her up on my last trip to Coruscant. We made it look like that actually happened to. Captain Typho made her my personal self-defense trainer. I've gotten ever so much better, but I think fighting you was a challenge for her. Why?"

Anakin was quiet for a few moments after Padme's little speech. "She is good, I'll give her that, but she's too mysterious for me. Are you sure she wasn't conveniently planted on you, to kill you?" he asked quietly.

His answer was a vehement, "No." Padme continued, "She'd die for me, she almost has, once or twice."

"Most good assassins seem like that at first, just so that they can get close to you and learn your secrets before dispatching you," he explained gently.

"She's not, Anakin, really. If you're so worried why don't you check her out?" Padme said persuasively, wishing that her husband would not distrust the girl who had become like a younger sister to her.

"Maybe I will," Anakin answered meditatively. "She's Force-sensitive, though completely untrained so we know she can't possibly be a Sith. That also bothers me," he said, offering Padme insight on the girl.

"Really? Interesting. I wonder if that's one of the reasons why she's so good. Well, we've been out here long enough, let's go inside before someone come looking for us, because I know Nari will eventually." Padme got up and pulled Anakin to his feet. He kissed her soundly, whispering in her ear that he would love to have her to himself tonight and every other night he was here, if she could just find somewhere else for her newest Handmaiden to go so they've have some peace.

Padme giggled and dragged him out of the garden.

XX

I would really appreciate it if you would review this for me. Otherwise, I'll feel like this story is so bad and I will not finish it and let the characters fade off into non-existence.


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